The Lark

The Lark is a 2007 British psychological thriller film directed by Paul Farmer, Mark Jenkin and Steve Tanner and written by Paul Farmer. The film starred British TV actress Mary Woodvine, and was filmed in 18 days in Cornwall, England on a budget of £12,000. It premiered in The UK at the Cambridge Film Festival and has also been shown at the Cornwall Film Festival, The Calgary International Film Festival, The Twin Rivers Media Festival where picked up the 1st Place prize for Best Feature and at the 1st LIC Astoria Film Festival. Plot The film opens with the a woman, Niamh (Mary Woodvine), dragging a body in from the cold, white outside into what looks like a derelict factory with walls covered in strange, cryptic maps. She is wearing a blue boiler suit and a respirator. The body "Sean" (Ian Marshall) is also dressed in a blue boiler suit and appears badly wounded by a trap Niamh has set. Niamh calls out for "Doc" and "Friday" although nobody appears. Sean and Niamh seem to know each other. Two children appear asking what has happened. Niamh tells them that Sean has been outside without his respirator and is very ill. She tells the children to go back to their room and wait for her. Sean quips that he is fine and asks if they want some sweeties. The children disappear. Sean repeats that he is 'fine' over and over again then tells her he can smell bread. Niamh agrees. She continues to drag him through endless corridors. Later, Niamh is frantically cleaning the trail of blood on the floor. Rory and Roisin, the children, appear and ask if they can help look for respirators. Later they are in their room where Niamh tells them that Sean has left them some sweeties. After reading them a bedtime story she sings them to sleep. Niamh starts talking to her friend Doc (Phil Jacobs), they talk about Sean and she asks him to re-set the traps. She doesn't acknowledge that he is not dressed in a boiler suit and he seems matter-of-fact about the situation, but Niamh is tense. As she goes to search for more respirators she starts imagining strange images and noises. We see an old style film recording of Niamh in normal clothes having a picnic. It abruptly cuts back to Niamh presently. A while later she hears a noise coming from the main door. Doc notes that he thought Niamh had set the traps. As Niamh turns to respond Doc has vanished. She goes to investigate. Two people are now inside the building also wearing boiler suits and carrying torches.